Baseball: Free agent pitcher Uehara to return to Yomiuri

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Free agent reliever Koji Uehara is poised to return to his former club, the Yomiuri Giants, a source in the Central League club said Friday.

An announcement is expected to be made later in the day, the source said, adding that Uehara, who played for the Chicago Cubs last season, will wear No. 11 for the Giants.

The 42-year-old said last week he would consider returning to Japan to continue his playing career if he received an offer from a Nippon Professional Baseball club.

After 10 years with the Giants, Uehara made the jump overseas and began his major league career with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009. He also had stints with the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and the Cubs.

In his first year in Boston, Uehara finished with seven saves in the 2013 postseason to help the Red Sox win the World Series.

He went 22-26 with a 2.66 ERA in 436 games while recording 95 saves in nine seasons in the majors.